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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27209503">Notice Me?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/petite_lilmiss/pseuds/petite_lilmiss'>petite_lilmiss</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>JO1 (Japan Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - School, Fluff, M/M, Not Beta Read, why is tagging so hard</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 18:49:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,165</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27209503</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/petite_lilmiss/pseuds/petite_lilmiss</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sho has a crush on that popular guy. That's it.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Shiroiwa Ruki/Yonashiro Sho</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Notice Me?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Wouldn't it be something? To have him near, to inhale that fresh scent that he always seems to emit, to see up close just how smooth and blemish-free his skin was. Not to mention, how do those lips even feel?</p><p> </p><p>A sharp elbow on his side snapped Sho out of his thoughts, making him flinch and look around. It was Junki who stabbed him with that bony elbow of his. To think, Sho's bigger and broader than his friend.</p><p> </p><p>"Stop drooling." The smaller guy hissed, glaring at him. "Your turn." He nodded at the basketball hoop in front of them.</p><p> </p><p>Right. Gym class.</p><p> </p><p>Sho's eyes strayed momentarily before searching for that person he had been conspicuously checking it out. Was it so bad that he had a thing for a classmate?</p><p> </p><p>Sho nearly balked when he realized the said person looking at him from the sideline, a small smile on that pretty face. He gulped, tearing his eyes away as he felt his face redden to the roots at being caught. </p><p> </p><p>Okay, so maybe he hasn't been subtle lately. Could the other have noticed already?</p><p> </p><p>Junki nudged him again, more insistent and painful this time, and Sho could see their teacher losing his patience, eyes narrowing at him. With a defeated sigh, he dribbled the ball once, twice. Then he bent his knees a little, ball in his raised hands, and let momentum make the shot for him.</p><p> </p><p>Perfect shot, <em>of course</em>.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>"He got another confession today."</p><p> </p><p>Sho paused in rewriting his notes but kept his head down. It wasn't to him that the voice spoke but someone a little far behind him. He didn't have to guess who they meant.</p><p> </p><p>"Again?" Another classmate spoke. "That's like, what, the third or fourth this week."</p><p> </p><p>"Sixth, but guess what? He rejected her." Whoever was gossiping sounded too gleeful that Sho felt himself bristle in annoyance.</p><p> </p><p>But when he straightened up, ready to snap at whoever that meddlesome person was, he spotted Junki and two other classmates, Takumi and Ren, staring at him. Junki was on his right side, while the two sat in front of them.</p><p> </p><p>"What?" He choked, feeling like he was caught red-handed.</p><p> </p><p>"Pisses you off, huh?" Junki said, making the other two snicker.</p><p> </p><p>Sho had to bite the inside of his cheeks for a moment to avoid snapping at his friend. Junki's always trying to get the rise out of him, especially with... that person.</p><p> </p><p>"I dunno what you mean." He mumbled after a moment, head dipping again to continue what he was doing.</p><p> </p><p>"Why don't you try asking him out, anyway?"</p><p> </p><p>Takumi threw the question at him so casually that Sho dug his pencil's end on the notebook too hard and cleanly snapped it off. The incident was enough to silence the group of friends, bewildered. Why was he writing in pencil again?</p><p> </p><p>Ren spoke up first after a minute or so, clearing his throat to fill the awkward atmosphere. "With so many people confessing to him, Sho can't probably fit himself somewhere there."</p><p> </p><p>Sho threw a crumpled piece of paper at him as the others chuckled.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>Sho stopped in his tracks, realizing something out of nowhere. He opened his bag and searched through his stuff. He nearly cursed when he noticed the one thing he shouldn't have left behind. </p><p> </p><p>"Something happened?" Junki asked as he and Takumi waited for him a few steps ahead. Ren was attending to extracurricular duties then.</p><p> </p><p>"I left my sketchpad." Sho groaned in frustration, looking at them. "You should go ahead. I'll catch up."</p><p> </p><p>"Discount hour ends in an hour," Takumi said, referring to an event their favorite fast food restaurant was holding. "Should we buy yours?"</p><p> </p><p>Sho nodded, already backstepping towards their school. "Pay you later!" He promised and waved them away before spinning around and rushing back inside their campus.</p><p> </p><p>The sun had set a few minutes ago, and their school grounds were nearly empty. It made running back to their classroom easy because no one was going to stop him along the way. Having their room at the top of the building would have been a hassle, but Sho was in his top physical condition; hurrying up the flights of stairs was no biggie. He might have enjoyed the exhilaration a bit, too.</p><p> </p><p>He landed on the top floor just a little short of breath before heading towards their classroom a couple of doors away. He was surprised to see the lights switched on and the back door open. He and his friends had been the last ones to leave, and he distinctly remembered switching the lights off on his way out. Who was still here?</p><p> </p><p>He skidded to a stop at the doorway when he recognized the only occupant in the room. A lean figure was resting against a desk, his head dipped at whatever he was holding. Sho would know him anywhere, having observed, watched, and perhaps checked him out several times since the school year began. And people can never stop talking about him, anyway.</p><p> </p><p>Okay, Sho wasn't expecting this, and he certainly wasn't prepared. Maybe he should turn back...</p><p> </p><p>But the other flipped a page in what he was holding, and Sho felt the blood in his face drain when he recognized it. A choked sound left him before he rushed (stumbled)  inside, past all the other desks, and snatched his sketchpad out of the other's hands.</p><p> </p><p>This grabbed the other's attention, head lifting and soft brown eyes meeting his. Because it was too much to have them on him, Sho glanced down, shutting his pad. "That's private stuff. Did no one tell you not to snoop around?" He mumbled, shoving it inside his bag.</p><p> </p><p>"Sorry." The other said. He seemed sincere, but Sho still wasn't looking at him. "I saw it was open, and... your sketches are amazing, Sho-kun."</p><p> </p><p>Sho-kun. He had to take a deep breath even as he felt his heart speed up at the name. It wasn't even original; a lot of people call him by that, from family to friends to people he just knows in school or his part-time job. The other wasn't the first one to call him that. But when it came from him...</p><p> </p><p>He forced himself to focus on the other, almost shyly meeting his eyes. "Thanks... Ruki-kun."</p><p> </p><p>Ruki smiled, that telltale small smile he has whenever he catches something amusing. Sho would know; he has seen it several times. He would say it's the other's default reaction to anything around him, so it didn't come as a surprise.</p><p> </p><p>What he didn't anticipate, though, was his body freezing on the spot when the smaller guy slowly moved towards him. "I'm particularly fond of one of them," Ruki stated, walking with his arms crossed over his chest.</p><p> </p><p>Sho could feel his blush rising as he saw the look in the other's eyes. Pretty sharp and intense for someone complimenting his work. What did he do to deserve such attention?</p><p> </p><p>"W-which one?" He stammered, then regretted it a little as Ruki's smile widened. His heart seemed to forget its normal speed, threatening to jump out of his chest. And when did his hands get so sweaty? He casually wiped them on his pants.</p><p> </p><p>"That sketch," Ruki stopped before Sho, looking up at him with bright eyes. Were they shining just for him, or was this a daydream? "Of your seatmate writing in his notebook. That's a nice one."</p><p> </p><p>Sho couldn't hold back as heat made his face bright red, hand coming up to hide half of it. He knew that one all too well, probably etched in his mind even if he had drawn it already. His seatmate had been busy writing down notes, concentrating on whatever the teacher said when Sho caught him in perfect light. The afternoon sun had been lovely outside the window at that time, just the right brightness and soft hue coming in, and it gave his seatmate an almost ethereal glow as if he was shining by himself. Not to mention, the focused look on his face was memorable. Sho just had to capture it in the paper.</p><p> </p><p>What he didn't think was going to happen was for said seatmate to see it himself.</p><p> </p><p>"I— well, the lighting was good. And I had to, you know." He blubbered in embarrassment, shrugging helplessly at the end.</p><p> </p><p>"Uh-huh," Ruki murmured, still gazing at him with those glinting orbs. He didn't seem convinced by Sho's explanation. "Can I have it?"</p><p> </p><p>"No!" Sho exclaimed too quickly, hand dropping to his side. Then he averted his eyes, still red in the cheeks, unable to maintain eye contact with the other. "...It's one of my favorites... so I can't give it to you." He admitted.</p><p> </p><p>"I see."</p><p> </p><p>Sho nearly relaxed then, thinking Ruki let it go. But the other stepped even closer, and Sho stumbled back on a desk, promptly landing his butt on it. The wooden table creaked ominously, but he didn't even mind it. Not that he could. He gaped at the other as Ruki grinned and laid his hands on Sho's shoulders.</p><p> </p><p>"If I kiss you, can I get a copy of it?"</p><p> </p><p>"Wha—?"</p><p> </p><p>But Ruki was already there, leaning in and pressing soft lips on his. Sho remained still, hands awkwardly holding himself up on the desk.</p><p> </p><p>He had imagined this moment several times, when he would have the courage to talk to Ruki and ask him out. In his mind, he had seen them do it in the courtyard, the nearby playground, even at the convenience store a block away from the campus. He had also imagined this in the classroom, but not with Ruki making the first move. Never Ruki making it.</p><p> </p><p>When the other pulled away, the intensity in his eyes and smile had notched down, but he still looked pretty. Dewy skin, pink lips, flushed cheeks, all that—Sho could stare at him all day.</p><p> </p><p>"And maybe... a date, too?" Ruki added, voice becoming soft with what could only be shyness. Sho's automatic thought response would've been <em>cute</em>.</p><p> </p><p>When the words sunk in his muddled brain, Sho looked away, still blushing. He licked his lips nervously, the feel of the other's lips still vivid to him. How come Ruki ended up asking him out? It should have been him.</p><p> </p><p>So maybe Ren had said something true. Someone is always confessing to Ruki that Sho loses a bit of his confidence every time. How can he compare to these people wanting to date Ruki? And he always feared he'd one day find out Ruki had said yes.</p><p> </p><p>But for the other to come to him and ask him out? This must be an alternate universe.</p><p> </p><p>Sho's silence might have given the wrong idea, and he felt Ruki stepping back. In his panic, he grabbed Ruki's hand in his, startling the other a little. His heart jumped at realizing he was finally holding the other's hand. Just how small is it in his? </p><p> </p><p>"I..." He faltered, staring at the other. Ruki looked torn between appearing hopeful and dejected, lips thinning as he waited. Why is it that he still looked beautiful this way? Always a princely image, but soft around the edges. Sho wants to remember this. "I'll draw a new sketch for you."</p><p> </p><p>The other's eyes widened before a smile slowly appeared. It was still small, but it looked sweeter than his default one. And it was aimed at Sho. </p><p> </p><p>"Yeah?" Ruki giggled, and Sho felt himself smiling at that sound. "That's it?"</p><p> </p><p>The taller guy nearly rolled his eyes, but that might give the wrong impression. "And go on a date, too." He added, although his voice shook a bit when saying that.</p><p> </p><p>"Okay," Ruki leaned in and left a kiss on Sho's cheek. "How about now?"</p><p> </p><p>"Ah," taken aback, Sho scratched the back of his head in worry. "I was gonna eat out with Junki and Takumi—"</p><p> </p><p>"Great! I'm hungry, too." Ruki grabbed his bag nearby and pulled on Sho's hand, making him get up and follow him out of the room.</p><p> </p><p>"Wait, we're going now?" Sho exclaimed, incredulous, as Ruki shut the lights and closed the door, all while holding Sho's hand firmly in his.</p><p> </p><p>"Why not?" Ruki piped up as he led the way to the staircase. "You're going to eat, anyway."</p><p> </p><p>Talk about straightforward, Sho thought with amusement. Then it hit him that it was what he had been waiting for. Not how he planned or imagined it, but at least the result was the same. He could only preen at having Ruki's special smile for himself, the smaller guy's hand oddly comfortable in his big one.</p><p> </p><p>He easily caught up with the other's pace, walking side by side as if they've been doing it for a long time. Ruki shot him another sweet, soft smile before moving just a little closer. Sho felt his heart melt.</p><p> </p><p>"They're not expecting you, though."</p><p> </p><p>"That's okay. They'll get used to it."</p><p> </p><p>END</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Fluff is not my thing ^^; This was supposed to be a collection of short stories/drabbles, but... yeah nope.</p><p>Belated happy birthday, Yonashiro Sho! (ෆ˙ᵕ˙ෆ)♡</p></blockquote></div></div>
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